Savory and complicated in saline, woody notes of cedar and dry tannin, this old-school wine is dark and structured, aged 20 months in French oak, half of it new. Brooding black fruit and clove give it an edgy richness that is restrained and balanced by underlying acidity. Enjoy best 2029–2039.
96 points, Virginie Boone, Wine Enthusiast (Oct 2022)
The 2019 vintage might be something of an outlier for Cathy Corison, who picked two weeks later than usual, taking advantage of the cool season from summer into fall. This wine is, in fact, an idealized version of her benchland cabernet sauvignon, holding on to the elegance she regularly achieves, while adding a luscious textural beauty that more often comes from bottle age. James Conley of NYC’s Keen’s Chophouse found the aroma suggested a more delicate wine than the density and extract this one carries in its “cabernet grape tannins and intriguing, lifted fruit. If someone said, ‘I love Napa, but show me what I’m missing.’ I’d say, ‘Well, try this.’” Warm and explosive in its energy, this wine carries an imprint of the benchland soils in the play of darkness and light, in the detailed tannins that make you crave another taste.
96 points, Joshua Greene, Wine & Spirits (Oct 2022)
A very fresh, floral-laced style, offering a bright beam of cassis and plum gelée laced with flashes of violet, hibiscus and rose petal. Nicely grounded through the finish, with alder and warm earth hints filling in. Approachable, but this has more to show in time. Best from 2023 through 2036. 3,000 cases made.
94 points, James Molesworth, Wine Spectator (Oct 2022)
A perfumed nose of blackberries, dark cherries, cedar, cocoa and nutmeg. Violets too. Medium body with fine tannins and bright acidity. Fresh and refined with a bright core of wild fruit and a long, flavorful finish. Drink or hold.
94 points, James Suckling (Nov 2021)
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